When do I need to think about contraception after having a baby, and does breastfeeding count?

Sooner than most people expect. Fertility can return from about three weeks after birth if you are not exclusively breastfeeding, and ovulation happens before the first period — so waiting for a period to come back is not a plan.

Exclusive breastfeeding does reduce fertility substantially, but only while three conditions all hold: the baby is under six months, feeds are frequent day and night with no long gaps and no other food, and your periods have not returned. Once any one of those changes, so does the protection.

Which method suits you depends on whether you are breastfeeding, how the birth went, and what you want next. Several methods can be started immediately after birth, including some fitted before you leave hospital, and some are usually delayed for a few weeks.

This is a good conversation to have before the birth rather than during a six-week check with a baby on your lap.

This cannot tell you which method is right for you or when you can start it. That depends on your delivery, your medical history and whether you are breastfeeding, and it needs a clinician who knows all three.

• Which methods can I start now, given how I gave birth and how I am feeding?
• Which ones would we delay, and until when?
• How soon after this would I be protected?
• If I want another pregnancy, how long is it worth leaving between them?

Seek advice quickly if you have had unprotected sex and do not want to be pregnant — emergency contraception is time-sensitive and some options work up to five days.